Youth Sunday School

Organization Guide
Finding your
place of
service

An Open Group Youth Sunday School Class is

Foundationalthe fundamental beginning place for involving youth in doing the
work of the Great Commission. It is an entry point for unbelievers and new believers
and is foundational for believers to mature as they study Gods Word and learn to serve.
Ongoingmeets regularly for Bible study and builds ongoing relationships with class
members and prospects. There is a plan for ongoing ministry, outreach, and fellowship.
Evangelistichas as its primary objective to win the lost. The climate encourages
believers to invite, engage, and share Christ with the lost.
Focused on Bible Studythe study of Gods Word. This is accomplished through
ongoing small-group study as well as personal Bible study with the purpose of guiding
students toward conversion, maturity, and ministry.
Multiplyingopen groups challenge students to discover their place of service as
class leaders. The overarching goal is to start another unit or class. Open groups
prepare to start a new unit or class every two years.
Intentionalplanning and evaluation takes place to ensure the class functions as an
open group.

Youth Teacher
A Teachers responsibility is
to live by the principle that the leader is the lesson and Sunday School is a sevenday-a week strategy.
to administer the growth of a Youth Sunday School class by planning weekly for
effective Bible study, and to participate in training opportunities.
to evangelize youth and the adults who influence them through regular contacts,
participation in personal visitation, and class outreach events.
to disciple teenagers in their relationship with God and to enlist and train youth to
serve as class leaders.
to guide youth to fellowship with each other as well as with the entire church.
to minister to teens and their families and to lead youth to care for one another.
to lead youth to worship by helping them develop a lifestyle that includes personal
quiet times and participation in corporate worship.
to teach youth the Bible using a variety of teaching-learning approaches and
prayerfully guiding youth toward spiritual transformation.
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Youth Department Director

In addition to the Teachers responsibilities, a Department Director
participates in the growth of Youth Sunday School in the church through annual
planning, communication, organization, and evaluation of the work of the department; leads weekly leadership meetings.
works with the Department OutreachEvangelism Director and/or Division
Director to plan department outreach events for youth and leaders.
guides the department (large group) time during Sunday School. The Department
Director also relates the departments training needs to the Youth Division Director.
plans evangelism training opportunities for department members and leads all
members of the department to become involved in witnessing to the unsaved.
promotes fellowship among youth class members and others on the leadership
team by planning quarterly fellowship opportunities.
encourages youth and leaders to develop personal quiet times and participate in
corporate worship, including leading department worship experiences.

Youth Department (or class) Outreach_Evangelism Leader

The Department OutreachEvangelism Leaders job responsibilities include
a dministering the planning and conducting of department outreach and evangelism
activities through annual planning events, communication, and weekly leadership
meetings.
evangelizing youth through participation in personal visitation and group outreach
events and equipping all other youth Sunday School members and leaders in
developing their evangelism skills.
functioning as a leader in Student FAITH, if the church is a FAITH church;
ministering to leaders, members, and nonmembers, and leading youth and leaders
to care for members and nonmembers and their families.

Youth Department Secretary

The responsibilities of the Department Secretary include
to process and maintain department records and to compile reports for department
leaders.
to reach and witness to youth and their families through participation in personal
visitation and group outreach events, to process and maintain visitation records,
and to maintain an up-to-date prospect file.
to participate in scheduled leadership meetings to providing record information.
to maintain all department supplies, including ordering and distributing periodicals.

Youth Division Director

(The Youth Minister may, in some cases, serve as Division Director.) The responsibilities
of the Division Director include
to coordinate the work of multiple departments, guiding them to set goals and
evaluate progress.
to coordinate annual planning, communication, training opportunities, and generally coordinate the work of Youth Department Directors and any youth Division
Level Leaders.
to lead the Youth division to develop and maintain an effective evangelism strategy,
to promote fellowship among youth and the leadership team, and among the adult
members of the leadership team.
to plan and participate in ministry to youth leaders, youth, and the families of
youth.
to lead all or part of the scheduled leadership meetings.
to teach as a substitute when needed, to stay in touch with the needs of youth, to
serve as a model for other Youth Sunday School leaders, and to plan special youth
Bible study groups and projects (Youth Vacation Bible School, Youth January Bible
Study, and so forth).
to communicate regularly with the Minister of Youth to plan, organize, evaluate,
and conduct the work of Youth Sunday School.
t o lead youth to worship by coordinating the planning, training, and implementation
of emphases that encourage personal quiet times and participation in corporate
worship.
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Youth Minister
Sunday School responsibilities of the Youth Minister include
providing administrative support and resources, including budget, for Youth
Sunday School leaders.
participating in personal visitation and group outreach events; equipping youth
and leaders to become involved in evangelizing the unsaved.
modeling sound Youth Sunday School methods and principles in all training opportunities for members of the Youth Sunday School leadership team.
promoting fellowship among the youth and the youth leadership team.
ministering to leaders, members, nonmembers, and their families, and leading
youth and leaders to minister to members, nonmembers, and their families.
discipling youth by helping them develop personal quiet times and participation in
corporate worship; involving youth and Youth Sunday School leaders in planning
and conducting special youth worship opportunities.

Student Leaders
Youth who serve as Student Leaders should
be disciples and conduct themselves in a way that honors God.
witness to peers, lead peers to faith in Jesus Christ, and encourage church
membership.
help plan, promote, and participate in fellowship opportunities; encourage group
members to participate in building fellowship.
assist the Teacher in reaching youth through personal and group visitation and
encourage the involvement of class members in personal visitation and group
outreach events.
be personally involved in the Bible studies, encourage peers to be personally
involved, and enlist class members to accept assignments in the Bible studies.
maintain a personal quiet time, participate in corporate worship, and encourage
other youth to do the same.
assist the Teacher in leading the class, and serve as a link between the Teacher
and class members. (Occasionally, the Student Leader should participate in scheduled leadership meetings.) The Student Leader should be a member of a Student
FAITH team, if in a FAITH church.

Participants
Youth who attend Sunday School classes and Bible study groups are not merely the
intended recipients of Sunday Schools Great Commission ministry. They are the
grass roots ministers. Youth Sunday School is all about building Great Commission
Christians. All Class Leaders, Teachers, Directors, and Pastoral Leaders needed now
or in the future may be found on the membership or prospect lists of Sunday School
classes today. Every Participant should receive the opportunity to serve according to
the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We can offer those opportunities through Youth
Sunday School.
Major responsibilities include
participate in personal and group Bible study regularly, giving attention to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in ones life.
be receptive to Gods efforts to draw people to faith in Christ through His Work,
His Spirit, and His people.
actively participate in efforts to lead others toward faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
participate individually and with the class to serve Christ through evangelism,
discipleship, fellowship, ministry, and worship.
follow Gods leadership in responding to opportunities to grow spiritually and to
serve Gods people in leadership roles.

Apprentice Teacher
A Youth Apprentice Teacher is enlisted from an adult class to assist a teacher in his
or her major responsibilities and/or to prepare to start a new Bible study unit within
two years. An Apprentice Teacher serves as a substitute when the Teacher is absent.
The primary responsibilities are to
teach a minimum of once every six weeks and more often as the class prepares to
start a new class.
work with the Teacher to lead the class to function as an open group.
assist the Teacher in encouraging the spiritual and service growth of class members.
plan, encourage, and participate with members in discipleship studies beyond
Sunday School.

Class Organization
Basic
Outreach
Evanglism
Leader

Teacher

Expanded
Teacher
Apprentice Teacher
OutreachEvanglism Leader

Student Leader

Student Leader

Student Leader

Age
Max. Enrolled
7-12th grade
24

Student Leader

Leader: Learner Ratio

(based on attendance)
1:8

Find your place of service!

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The Purpose of Sunday School/Open Group Ministries of the Georgia

Baptist Convention is to partner with churches, associations, and
regions to build healthy ministries in the local church that fulfill the Great
Commission and the Great Commandment.
The Vision of Sunday School/Open Group Ministries is that every Georgia
Baptist church would have a healthy and growing Sunday School and/or
Open Group ministry.
The Goals of Sunday School/Open Group Ministries, that define a
healthy/growing Sunday School, are to see the following results in Georgia:

An increasing Sunday School Enrollment

An increasing Sunday School Attendance

An increasing number of Sunday Schools

An increasing number of Teaching Units (Classes)

An increasing number of Baptisms

An increasing number of Sunday School Leaders Trained

An increasing number of Sunday Schools that report an increased

Enrollment and Attendance

Text taken and adapted from:

LifeWay Christian Resources, Nashville, TN
Used with permission
Sunday School/Open Group Ministries
Georgia Baptist Convention
6405 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, GA 30097-4092
1-800-RING-GBC or 770-936-5285
Fax: 770-452-6580
Website: ssog.gabaptist.org

This ministry made possible by gifts

of Georgia Baptists through the
Cooperative Program.